Surat: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Dahej-based Yasashvi Rasayan Private Limited once again on Wednesday to deposit Rs 25,000 compensation each to the 4,800 villagers who were displaced in major blast that took place in the company in June 2020. Upholding its previous order, the green watchdog has asked the district collector of Bharuch to comply with the order within one month.
In its reply, the company stated that Rs 3.10 crore was already paid as redressal and expressed its willingness to deposit further Rs 1.29 crore within two days. However, it raised objection to the order asking it to pay Rs 25,000 each to the 4,800 villagers displaced at the time of the incident.
The major blast at Yashashvi Rasayan Private Limited at the Special Economic Zone (SEZ)-2 at Dahej industrial area had killed 12 workers and injured over 70 other workers and employees on June 3, 2020.
Hearing a complaint filed by the Surat-based NGO, Aryavrat Foundation, the tribunal had constituted six-member committee under retired judge BC Patel to conduct an inquiry and submit a report within a month on June 8, 2020. The NGT had slapped Rs 25 crore penalty to the company owners.
The panel examined the extent of damage to human and non-human life and public health and environment and steps taken for compensation. The affected people were asked to submit their queries to the district collector’s office in June.
The committee comprises justice BC Patel, former chief justice of Delhi High Court as chairman including representative of union environment ministry, representative of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), head of Chemical engineering department of IIT Gandhinagar, representative of NEERI and representative from National Institute of Disaster Management, IIPA campus New Delhi.
The panel found that the consumption of raw material in the company was much higher than mentioned on record.